World Athletics extends ban on Russia and Belarus over Ukraine invasion

The World Athletics Council has reaffirmed its decision to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions, maintaining sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This decision comes four years after the initial sanctions were put in place.

While World Athletics had previously ended its eight-year doping ban on the Russian Athletics Federation in 2023, the separate ban related to the invasion remains in effect. "We presented options for the Council to consider on this matter, however the original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialised," stated World Athletics President Seb Coe.

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We presented options for the Council to consider on this matter, however the original decision remains on the sanctions that protect the integrity and fairness of our competitions, with no tangible movement towards peace negotiations having materialised.

This announcement follows the International Olympic Committee's decision two months prior to lift all restrictions on Belarusian athletes, allowing their return to international events. Belarus was utilized as a staging ground for the invasion. A limited number of Russian para-athletes were permitted to compete under their own flag at the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics earlier this year.

World Athletics also highlighted the significant damage to athletics infrastructure within Ukraine. The council noted that "the ability of Ukraine and its athletes to train and compete remains severely compromised," further justifying the continued exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

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the ability of Ukraine and its athletes to train and compete remains severely compromised